Photographic sound reproducing head



Dec. 27, 1949 A. HEURTIER PHOTOGRAPHIC .SOUND REPRODUCING HEAD 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1947 r All/ I Jun Dec. 27, 1949 A. HEURTlE R 2,492,696

PHOTOGRAPHIC SOUND REPRODUCING HEAD Filed June 5, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 5, 1947 Om m v mu m.\ Q VIVA 22km AAAAAAAAAMAAQA IE; 55!;55451515! lw' INVENTOR.

Dec. 27, 1949 A. HEURTIER 2,492,695

PHOTOGRAPHIC SOUND REPRODUCING HEAD Filed June 5, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 n IN VEN TOR WLW Wag

Patented Dec. 27, 1949 U NIT ED.

PATENT *OF F ICE rno'rocm-rmo'sounn REPRODUCING Y HEAD Y -Antolneslieurtier, Saint-Etienne, France Appiication'June5; 1947, Serial No. 752,'766= -*In France .Iune S; 1944 4::Olaims. (01. 179-4003) "Section 1; Public'Law 690,- AugustS, 1946 My invention relates to sound reproducing devices used in connection with .cinematograph film projecting apparatus.

A first object 'of my'invention'is to obtain a smooth running of a cinematographic film provided with the conventional -sound track.

Another object of my invention is to provide a sound reproducing device wherein the transverse position of the beam of light adapted to, impress the photo-electric cell through the sound track may be correctly adjusted with respect to the film in order to'avoid undesirable noises.

A further object of my invention is a device comprising a'drum'made intwog-parts separated by a free cylindrical space; the film being wound over thesaid 'free'space; while:the..photo-electric cell is fixed within the drum.

Still a further object of myinvention is a device of the character. above-defined, wherein'the two parts are bell-shapedand 'aretcarried 'bya common shaft in opposed 'respective' relation; while the ph'oto-electric'cell is carried by an inner support itself supported byth'efixed .frame orcasing through an intermediate member passed through the free space provided'betweenthe"two parts of the drum.

In the annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general longitudinal section of a sound reproducingdevice'according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof to a. reduced'scale, the drum being supposedly open (i; e. its forepart being removed) Fig. 3 is afragmental'longitudinalsection,of "a modification comprising means to observe the transverse positionof-the beam-oflight on'the film.

Fig. 4 is the corresponding end v-iew with the drum supposedly open.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the adjusting gear for the-opticaldevices-producing the beam of light.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the arrangement of prism and lens permitting observation of thecontrolling pointer with respect'to the film.

Fig. '7 is'a fragmental section similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating the parts at another: position.

Fig. 8 shows thearrangement of the pointer.

In Figs. land 2,-'numeral l 'designates afixed casing provided with an end-cover" 2 carryin 'a central boss 3 adapted -to-'house a*ball bearing 4 having its inner ballrace-4 "mounte'don a shaft 5 in one with a bell-shapedmember't"and with a heavy flywheel 1. As indicated; member ii-opens outwardiy'with respect=toflywheel l.

Patent expires J une'8, .1964

Member ii, which rotates with. shaft'5; houses a fixed hollow support 8 connected with casing -i by-means of a tray 9 clamped-by screwsis Sup port 8, which is substantially cylindrical, is closed beyond the open end'of member'fi by an end And cover it fixed by means of' screws IE cover It carries axially 'a ball bearing-H, the inner ball race it of which is fixed on :a' shouldered portion Il of an extension 'l3'10f :shaft It will be seen that the rotating part, i. e. shafts 5 and I3 together with flywheel 'Tand member '6, are supported by materially spaced bearings, which ensures smooth running'and'avoids 'misalignments and vibrations.

Shaft i3 receives at its outer end a bell-shaped cover M fixed thereon by a blind nut l5. Cover l4 opens towards member 6 and it has the same external diameter. It is spaced. from drum E3 and stay 9 is passed through therelatively narrow free intermediate space, as indicated. Cover M is supposedly removed in Fig. 2.

The photo-electric cell I6 is carried by support 3 within drumli, as. illustrated, the end cover It being provided. with an opening lt to permit of introducing or removing cell 15.. The conductor leading to cell i6 is passed through a hole as provided through stay 9.

Member 6 and cover i4 maybe regardedas forming a single drum and a film A (Fig. 2), driven by a toothed roller C, passes over the cylindrical free spaced provided between thetwo parts, as indicated in Fig. l. The film is slightly braked by an appropriate device B (Fig. 2) of any description. A slit N (Fig. 1) is provided in the periphery of support 8 to afford a passage for the light beam towards celll6.in the mean transverse plane of the intermediate space between parts 6 and l4.

In the modified construction ofFigs. .3 to.8, means are provided topermitofaccurately adjusting the optical devices associated with the apparatus described, with respect to the sound track of the film.

There is provided a support ['8 '(Fig, 4) for the optical device associated. with the photoelectric cell, the said support being provided with a boss 20 and with Jan arm-2i.- :Bossfit houses a rod 22 (Fig. 5) provided with acshoulder 22 Anut 23 is screwed on the endof rod 22 which is thus fixed to'boss 23 asillustrated. I

The portion of rod 22 comprised between shoulder 22 and its'threaded end is'hollow and accommodates e an axial adjusting screw- 26 the inner *end' ofwhich bears against a transverse bar 3 25 passed through a transverse opening 22 provided through rod 22 (Figs. 5 and 7).

The portion 22 of rod 22 opposed to boss 20 is unperforated and is slidable within a tubular member 26 screwed in the main frame 21 of the apparatus. A compress-ion spring 28 is disposed around member 26 and acts on a nut 29 screwed on the outer end of portion 22 It will be observed that opening 22 is materially wider in axial direction than the thickness of bar 25. It will also be remarked that spring 28 tends to move nut 29 upwardly in Fig. 5. Screw 24 is thus pressed against bar 25, the latter resting against the shouldered end of member 26. Actuation of screw 24 therefore permits of adjusting the position of boss 20 and of support I8, as illustrated by Figs. 5 and 8.

The above-mentioned arm 2| carries a socket 30 (Fig. 5) fixed by a bolt 3|, and a ring 32 is rotatably mounted on socket 30, such ring carrying a pointer 33 (Fig. 8), the end of which is disposed in front of two openings 34 provided through socket 30 and ring 3| (Fig. 3). An optical prism 35 is disposed within socket 30, such prism being carried by a lens 36 forming a cover for the said socket (Fig. 6).

The other parts of the apparatus are similar to those already described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, but support 8 is perforated at 40 (Fig. 3) in front of the sound track of the film A and it carries a closed casing 42 supported by an angle member 42 an electric bulb 43 is disposed within casing 42 and the latter is perforated in front of hole 40, as shown.

The operator observes through lens 36 and prism 35 the sound track and pointer 33, and by means of screw 24 he brings them in registration with each other. As above explained, actuation of screw 24 causes support 18 and extension 2| to move axially, whereby pointer 33 may be brought to the proper position with respect to film A. At the same time, the optical device [9 is moved axially and things are so arranged that when pointer 33 is just in front of the sound track, the light beam from device I9 is correctly adjusted for satisfactory sound reproduction, which means that pointer 33 and device l9 are in the same transverse plane.

I claim:

1. In a sound reproducing device for a cinematographic film having a sound track, a casing; a shaft rotatably supported by said casing at one of its ends; a first bell-shaped member carried by said shaft co-axially thereto, said member opening outwardly with respect to the end of said shaft supported by said casing; a second bellshaped member removably fixed on the end of said shaft which is not supported by said casing, said second-named bell-shaped member opening towards said first-named bell-shaped member and having its edge spaced from the edge of said first-named bell-shaped member to form an intermediate space having a width which is less than the width of the film to be reproduced, said second-named bell-shaped member being adapted to form with said first-named bell-shaped member a drum whereon the film is passed with its sound track on said intermediate space; means carried by said casing externally to said members to project a beam of light through said intermediate space in a substantially radial direction with respect to said members; a support internal to said members to carry a photo-electric cell adapted to receive said beam of light; means passing through said intermediate space to fix 4 said internal support to said casing; and means on said internal support to rotatably carry said shaft in the vicinity of its end which is not supported by said casing.

2. In a sound reproducing device for a cinematographic film having a sound track, a pair of rotatable co-axial bell-shaped members opening towards each other with their edges longitudinally spaced from each other to form an intermediate space having a width which is less than the width of the film to be reproduced, said members being adapted to form a drum whereon the film is wound with its sound track on said intermediate space; means to rotatably support said members while connecting same with each other; a support external to said members and slidable in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said members; means to displace said support; means on said support to project a beam of light through said intermediate space in a direction substantially radial to said members; a support internal to said members to carry a photo-electric cell adapted to receive said beam of light through said intermediate space, and also a source of light of reduced dimensions adapted to be disposed in a transverse plane passing through said intermediate space; means passing through said intermediate space to support said internal support; lightrefiecting means on said external support to receive light from said source in a direction substantially radial with respect to said members and to reflect said light in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said members; and means carried by said external support and interposed between said source and said light-reflecting means and adapted to appear in the center of said source of light when said light-projecting means are in the mean plane of said sound track.

3. In a sound reproducing device as claimed in claim 2, said external support being carried by a rod parallel to the axis of said members and longitudinally slidable in said casing, said rod being provided with a transverse opening and with a threaded axial bore; and said means to displace said support comprising a bar passed through said opening with its ends resting against said casing, a screw screwed through said threaded bore and resting against said bar, and spring means acting axially on said rod to press said screw against said bar and said bar against said casing.

4. In a sound-reproducing device for a cinematographic film having a sound track, a pair of rotatable co-axial bell-shaped members opening towards each other with their edges longitudinally spaced from each other to form an intermediate space having a width which is less than the width of the film to be reproduced, said member being adapted to form a drum whereon the film is wound with its sound track on said intermediate space; means to rotatably support said members whiie connecting same with each other; a support external to said members and slidable in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said members; means to displace said support; means on said support to project a beam of light through said intermediate space in a direction substantially radial to said members; a support extending into said members through said space and carrying therewithin a photoelectric cell adapted to receive said beam of light through said intermediate space, and also carrying a source of light of reduced dimensions adapted to be disposed in a transverse plane passing through said itermediate space the light 5 6 shining outwardly through said space; and sighting means carried by said external support op- UNITED STATES PATENTS posite said internal source of light to permit obu b Name Date servation of the position thereof with respect to 1,807,409 Hoxie May 26, 1931 the portion of the film lighted by said source of 5 1,8 9,037 Kellogg Dec. 29, 1931 light through said intermediate space. I 2, 14,537 Page Sept. 17, 1935 ANTOINE HEURTIER. ,069,137 Esdaile Jan. 26, 1937 2,085,900 Collins July 6, 1937 REFERENCES CITED 2,100,751 Runge Nov. 30, 1937 10 2,261,410 Perez Nov. 4, 1941 The following references are of record in the 2,285,975 Hubschmm June 9, 1942 file of this patent: 

